Recuperator-furnace



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. ZELLWEGER.

REGUPERATOR FURNAGE. No. 279,475. Patented June 12,1883.

N. PETERS. Phnwmhngnpner, waehi nnnnnnnn C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. ZBLLWEGER.

l REGUPERATOR PURNAUE. No. 279,475. Patented June 12,1883.

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am l fforlz y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE@ JOHN ZELLWEGER, 'OF cHIcAGO, ILLINOIS.

RECuPERATomfuRNAoE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,475, dated June 12, 1883.

A pplication filed `February 2, 1983.

(No modelli To r11/ wit/'mt t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN ZELLWEGER, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements i n Recuperator-Furnaces 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, Ieference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked there` on, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to the class of reeuperators which employs separate fire-fines and air-flues. The most effective method of heating air and gases is by direct contact with hot bodies, as radiant heat has little or no effeet.

The characteristic feature of recuperators of this class heretofore built is that the air is heated by contact with one side of the firewalls, which are heated on their other side directly by fire-gases, steam, Src. From this follows another characteristic feature common to all regenerators heretofore builtwith a number -of parallel. fines, which is, that none utilize the heat thatradiates from wall to wall through the air between those tlues.. In the recuperators of a gas-furnace, for example, built with y several parallel fre-ilues and air-spaces between them, the heat that radiates from the fire-walls is either received by other fire-walls or by the outside walls of the recuperator; but since in the first case each fire-wall. thatradiates heat to another one opposite it receives an equal amount of radiant heat from that wall,

`it follows that the temperature of both is unchanged, as if :no radiation had taken place; and, furth er, that only a small amount ofradiant heat is transferred to the air. The heat radiated from a tire-wall to the circumference wall ofthe recuperator is there partly lost byconduction through the wall to the outside. Another defect of the recuperators in common use, esp ecially in connection with gas-furnaces, is that they fail to fully develop the ascending force of the hot airin proportion to the height of the apparatus. In some recuperators because of the great length ofthe horizontal air-dues, or

the zigzag course of the air currents, or because of a forced downward flow of heated air. In others because the ai r-sp\aces occupy but a part of the height ofthe recuperator and are obstructed by numerous projections or by hollow tie-bricks connectingtwoneighboring tireilues. A third defect of existing recuperators heated by fire-gases is that the fire-walls are connected or joined to the outside wall, which brings the lire-gases in contact with that wall, causing damage to the outside wall and loss of heat.

My improved recuperator utili zes eifectivel y all the heat conduct-ed through its fire-walls, and also the maximum ascending force ot' the 65 hot-air colu1nn,due to the height ofthe recuperator, and it does not suit'er from unequal heating of its walls, while the loss otheat out ward is reduced to a minimum.

I construct my air-heating apparatus or regenerator as an air-chamber containing two or more vertical isolated iire-iiues, with interme- Y v diate walls or piers interposed between all the fire-fines. The fire-fines, whichare separated from the outsi de wall by ai rspaces, extend from 7 the floor of the air-chamber to or near to the cap of it, and have generally a narrow but long horizontal section, extending nearly over the entire lengt-h or the width ofthe air-chamber. By this arrangement the circulation of the air and gases is the least obstructed and the fireiiues are free to expand and contract under the action of the heat. The intermediate walls or piers placed in the air-space between two firewalls represent the most important part ofthe improvement. They intercept the heat radiating from the tire-walls and then offer it to the air comingin contact with them. These intermediate walls Inay or may not connect with the outside wall, but they generally extend from the floor of the air-chamber to the top, supportin g wholly or in part the cap of the airchamber. These intermediate walls also give side support to the light fire-tine walls. In the case ofthelength ofthe horizontal vsection ofthe tire-fines being divided into two or more parts a second set of intermediate walls or pillars may be placed between those parts and at right angles to the first ones, dividing the horizontal sections, each containing a liretlue. I also place these intermediate walls or pillars between the two wings ot' U-shaped sections ot' 'fire-ilues and into the middle of ring-shaped sections. The intermediate walls need not be straight, but may vfollow the windings of the iire-wall. This principle of placing intermediate walls in the air-space between two tire walls or heating-surfaces, or between two op posite parts ot' one {ire-wall or heating-surtace, is applicable to all kinds of recuperators or airheating apparatuses, and not only to vertical walls, but also to horizontal ones, by interposing horizontal plates to intercept the heat-rays. XValls, pillars, and plates may have -plain surfaces, or may have projections or ribs on them. They may be made ot clay or metal or otl both combined. Air-tlues in horizontal or vertical position and surrounded by tire-gases may be divided into two sect-ions by a partition through them. In my recuperator tlie 'firegases enter the irc-flues through iire-ports at or near the top, either directly from the furnacechambcr or from a horizontal distributing tire-line, and escape at the bottom into a horizontal collecting fire-flue that leads to t-he stack. The' air enters the air-chamber at the bottom and escapes at the top through one or more openings in the sides or cap of the air-chamber. Sometimes I make' a distributin ai r-iue at the bottom and a collecting air-flue at the top, passing through iirediues and intermediate walls.

For the purpose oli* cleaning the iire-iiues I provide openings through the outside wallv ot' the air-chamber leading to the top and to the bottom of the tire-lines. For the purpose of facilitating repairs ot' the tire-fines I support the root o't'.tl 1e ai r-ch amber bythe intermediate or partition walls only. The partition-walls may be perforated to i'acilitate air-circulat=ion- In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view vot' a recuperator embodying my invention with portions broken away to show the arrangement of tlues and walls. Fig. 2 is a similar view ot' a simpler form ot' recu- ]iierator, also constructed according, to my invention. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section in the plane X ot" l. Fi 4 is a verti cal longitudinal section taken halt' through a tire-iiue and halt'through an ai r-'llu e, as indicated bythe line y Q/ of Fig. G. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the broken line ze" .c ot' Fig. 3. Fig. o' is a horizontal section on the line c o of Fig. et. Figs. 7 to l0, inclusive, are sections illustrating the construction of the regenerator shown by Fig. 2, Fig. 7 being a vertical cross-section in the planete, Fig. 8 avertical longitudinal section in the plane fw, Fig. 9 avertical cross-section on the line wg, and Fig. l() a horizontal section on the line at.

The gases and products-ot' combustion from the furnace are admitted through the ire-ports or openings A, and pass out through the out` let C to the chimney,

B is the inlet and D the outlet for the air,

the courses of the currents through the air and iire iiues being indicated by arrows.

The tire-ihres E receive the products o t' eombustion at the top from the fire-porta A and deliver them at the bottom to the collecting tire-flue C, passing transversely through the tire-nues E. The compact arrangement ofthe distributing airflue that also passes transversely through the air-spaces, and ot the collecting tire-flue of the iirst form of regenerator is clearly shown by Figs. l, 3, and 4, both con necting at the bottom with the air-tlues F and tre-tlues E, respectively. The air passes from the distributing-tine B through the ports I into the air-fines F, and the gases and products ot' combustion pass from the iire-tlues E umleithe partition c through the ports c into the collecting treue (l.

rlhe letter G indicates the partition-walls placed between the fre-flues- Openings H and I into the iire-'Iiues at the top and bottom, respectively, are provided for the purpose ol' cleaning the lues. These are generally closed by plugs.v The iloors of the openings H are not level, and. slope from the inside out, or are provided with ledges 71., just inside the bottom o't` the tire-ports A, to catch any molten matter that may drop through the iireports and prevent it from getting into the iiues.

The iire-ports A may be connected by a hori zontal distrilniting-ilue, which can be made to serve as a clay or glass pocket, instead ot' each communicating with a single iire-iiue, as shown. rlhc walls ofthe fire-iiues are in the iirst i'orm of regen erator detached from the external walls at the ends and top, except at the corners, where connection is made with the tire-ports. In the second form of rccuperator they extend from the bottom to the top, but are detached at the ends.

Sometimes it is necessary to place a gas=liue inside ot' a reeuperat-or, in which case the fire :flue walls and therintermediate walls can be used to brace the walls ot the gas-flue by joining them directly to the brick-work ot' said flue.

.lhisreeuperator plan can also be used as air heating apparatus for dry kilns, maltkilns, &c., when the distributing iire-iiues are built in connection with heartlis for the combustion of solid fuel, or with a burner for the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuel. For such cases the air-outlets may be located in the cap of the apparatus and the apparatus itself at the bottom of the drying-room.

that I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An air-heating apparatus having intermediate walls, pillars, or plates in the airspace between two tire-walls or heating-surfaces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A reeuperator consisting of an air-chainber with tiretlues reaching from the floor of i said chamber nearly to the top and detached from the external walls of the regenerator at IOO IIO

IZO

the ends, sides, andv top, substantially as und for the purpose set forth.

3. A reeuperator consisting of an air-channber with fire-nues reaching from the oor of said chamber to the top and attached at the corners to the external Walls of the regenerator, substantially as herein set forth. 4. A reouperator having fire-nues with intermediate Walls orpiers supporting` the roof of the air-chamber, substantially as und for the purpose set forth. A reeuperator having alternate re and air ues, and a collecting fire-flue and distributing air-Hue, which pass through the reflues and air-spaces7 and partition-Walls when used, and oonnnunieate, respectively, with the JOHN ZELLVEGER.

Witnesses:

ABNER B. THOMAS, ADoLF SCHNYDER. 

